


The Half-Blood Princess

by ThordisPotter



Category: Harry Potter - Fandom
Genre: Blood, F/M, Half-Blood, Hogwarts, Hogwarts Eighth Year, Muggle-born, Other, Post-Battle of Hogwarts, ancestry, bloodlines, dramione - Freeform, harry potter x oc, harry x oc - Freeform, pureblood
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-24
Updated: 2020-01-12
Packaged: 2021-01-02 02:15:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 26
Words: 19,364
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21153920
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThordisPotter/pseuds/ThordisPotter
Summary: "I told you to make it absolutely clear that pure bloods are the greater part of our species.  That's why we let you take this job!  You said you would do anything we needed you to."  It was a deep, angry, male voice speaking.  Then a female vice began speaking."But why?  Why would pure bloods need to be promoted?  We just finished fighting a war, we don't need to spark another one!"  It was Instructor Cattermole speaking now, sounding defiant.Suddenly they heard the clap of a hand meeting flesh.  By the sound of the whimper, the man had just slapped Cattermole."Let's try this again.  From this moment on, your lessons do not promote blood equality.  They will make students aware that pure bloods are the higher form of wizard and witch.  It's how we hold up our end of the deal with him.  Understood?"----------------------------It's Eighth Year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.  The Golden Trio and Draco Malfoy return to Hogwarts to continue their journey and education.  All is going well... for about an hour.  A required extracurricular is announced and a new girl is introduced into the widening friend group.  One last year, one last wild adventure at Hogwarts





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Hiya folks! 
> 
> I’m hear today to present you with my fanfiction. It’s the first one I ever wrote and somehow my best. 
> 
> I enjoy writing this but sometimes, me being the incredibly lazy person I am, I don’t post for a while. I get extreme cases of writers block, so there is no update schedule. I’ll try to keep it pretty consistent but no promises.
> 
> That brings me to my second point: collaborations. Sometimes when I get stumped for writing I ask my friend for help. She has inspired a couple of the chapter ideas and helped me get going so many times and I’m incredibly grateful for her.
> 
> As far as I’m concerned, she doesn’t have an AO3 account, so I can’t really credit her. But I just felt like putting this here to let you all know that she’s brilliant!
> 
> I don’t quite remember why but one time I wasn’t there for her when she was there for me so many times, so I promised to make her OC a character in the book.
> 
> That’s who Izzy is based off of. You’ll meet her in Chapter Nine, and her personality and morality runs wild.
> 
> Oh look at me, spoiling everything already.
> 
> I’ve got a couple last things to say and then you can get to reading, I promise.
> 
> This is a totally original idea. I didn’t get it from a Tumblr post or anything like that. Apologies if it’s similar to someone else’s work, but that’s certainly not my intention.
> 
> Please do not plagiarize this. I really like working on it and don’t want my ideas being stolen. Also, the effects of plagiarism can be catastrophic to you and your life, so I beg you, don’t do it.
> 
> Lastly, if you have any complaints about my story, how I wrote the characters, my ships, etc., please keep them to yourself. I only accept constructive criticism and would prefer if you didn’t rain on my day.
> 
> Thanks so much for giving this fanfic a chance, and I hope you enjoy!

IT WAS A STORMY NIGHT, a month after Lily had graduated from Hogwarts. Lily and James just got into their biggest fight, with Lily running out of the small house they shared in Godric's Hallow. She didn't know where to go, but she had to get away.

Soaking wet, she went to the first place that came to mind: Severus's house. 

When she got to the door, it was opened before she had even finished knocking. 

"Hey Sev, can I come in?" Lily asked meekly. "It's been a rough night."

"O-Of course. Do you need anything? Lily it's pouring! You shouldn't be out here in the rain." Sev gently scolded her. 

She was the only person that he was kind to, the only person that knew who he was inside.

"N-no, I just need to get out of the rain and away from that stuck up arse, James." As she walked inside, Sev took her coat and made her some tea.

"Why? What did he do?" Sev immediately accused James, as they were rivals. But he corrected himself, "I mean, what happened?"

"Well..."

Lily and Severus quickly became closer, as she was avoiding James. She began to have feelings through her misery and anger... romantic feelings. For Severus.

**TWO MONTHS LATER...**

One night, when it was very late, and Lily was feeling particularly sad and angry, her and Sev got carried away, and did some things that they both regret. Lily took a pregnancy test a week later, and it was...

"Positive," she whispered to herself. "How could I have been so stupid? I shouldn't have let this happen." 

Lily gasped. "When Severus hears... when James hears..." and suddenly she couldn't take it. She did what she thought was best: she left.

Lily told Sev and James that she needed a break, some time away from the world. That she was going on a trip and wouldn't be back for about a year, and not to worry about her. Then she packed up and left, left to give birth to a child.

**NINE AND A HALF MONTHS LATER...**

As Lily walked up to the doorstep, she considered what she was about to do. Her first-born child, the product of her and Severus Snape, was about to be left on the doorstep of two muggles. 

She did some research and discovered that they were both dentists; respectable, smart, caring, kind people and would take good care of her daughter. 

This evening might have gone differently if the letter had reached her only a few hours sooner...

As Lily left the child on the doorstep, swaddled in blankets, she placed the note into her daughter's hand. It read only one word, and that was the name of the girl.

_Hermione_.


	2. O N E - The Unfinished Potion and Memories of Desperate Times

"Alright, I know that this is only your second week back from break, but I need you all to pay attention closely. The potion that we are brewing today is called _Blutalysis_," Professor Slughorn explained. After the war, he had decided to come back to teach potions, as he enjoyed it greatly. Harry, Ron and Hermione sat in their seats, listening intently. Well, at least, Hermione was. The boys were stabbing each other with quills under the desk.

"Does anybody know what this potion is?" Slughorn asked.

Surprisingly enough, Ron raised his hand. "It is a potion that tests blood for diseases and tells if it would mix safely, kinda like in Muggle medical practices."

Everyone was surprised, Slughorn so much so that he rewarded 15 points to Gryffindor.

"Now, what is the etymology of the potion?" Slughorn inquired.

Hermione's hand shot up, and she answered, "Blut comes from the German word for blood, and alysis means that it is being analyzed, or studied. Like analysis." 

"Very good! We will be brewing this potion today in partners, and if it is brewed correctly you may test it with your own blood! Turn to page 414, and you may begin."

Hermione and Harry wanted to be partners, so that Ron and Malfoy could be. Recently, Malfoy and the Trio had come to a sort of understanding that they would be friendly with each other, trying to support the house unity being enforced by the staff this year. The trio believed that Malfoy had really changed, even if he wasn't quite showing it.

The potion was brewed perfectly by Harry and Hermione, and so Professor Slughorn let them try it out with their blood.

"Now students, if the potion turns green, it means that your blood/DNA is completely incompatible and unrelated. Blue means that your blood could be compatible, and it would work for Muggle transfusions and such. Purple means that your blood has similar properties, and finally, red means that it is a match: at least half of your chromosomes are identical and you are related." Slughorn prepared the vial in which Hermione and Harry would drip their blood, but everyone had lost track of time and class ended before they had the chance to test the potion.

"Well, since we already know what the outcome of the potion would be, we don't have to test it. Class dismissed, everyone come prepared for the next class with a knowledge of Polyjuice Potion!" Slughorn announced.

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

"That would have been interesting, however, to see if our DNA was compatible, like in Muggle Medicine. We should test it sometime, all three of us," Harry said to Hermione and Ron that night at dinner. 

As they ate, they noticed some strange activity at the staff table. Headmistress McGonagall was whispering frantically to Professor Flitwick, and Proffesor Sprout was anxiously glancing around, as if she was looking for someone. Suddenly, McGonagall got out of her seat and made an announcement.

"Good Evening, students. The Ministry of Magic had requested that we test a new regulation here at Hogwarts before decreeing it to the public. 

“We have recently recovered from the War, and there were many casualties. This has brought to the attention of the Ministry that some people may want to know their heritage and parents, as many children were orphaned by the death of their parents or guardians. 

“So, here at Hogwarts, we will be starting a four week program called _Heritage Studies_ where students may study DNA and how magic appears in a bloodline, and who your past family is. Even if you were not orphaned, you may not know who some of your predecessors are, and it has been made apparent to me," McGonagall said with a pointed glance at Flitwick, "that they should have the option of learning about their family history. 

Many groans were heard throughout the Great Hall at the thought of more studying and work, but McGonagall ignored them.

"Heritage Studies will not be a class, rather a required activity after classes. You will be assigned two days per week that you will have this activity, and it will be taught by a rather experienced Ministry worker, Mary Cattermole. Thank you, you may continue your meal."

"Hold on," Hermione said. "Isn't that the wife of the man Ron impersonated when we broke into MoM to get the locket from Umbridge? Last year?"

"Yeah, I think it is. I remember her quite well," Ron said with a shudder.

Harry laughed. "That's probably because of all the time she spent snogging you, thinking that you were her husband."

"Don't remind me. I can still taste her lipstick!" Ron glared when he saw Hermione and Harry laughing. "Hey, we all went to desperate measures for the war, all right!" Harry and Hermione laughed even harder when they saw his haunted and grossed out expression.

"Anyway," Hermione began, when she finally stopped giggling, "I bet she took advantage of the MoM after the War when they were desperate for new employees. We'll just have to hope she doesn't recognize us."

"I'm actually quite excited for this activity. It will be interesting to learn, and interesting to see how she reacts to seeing Ron again," Harry teased, bursting into laughter with Ron's face turning beet red. Hermione tried to scold Harry, but they could tell she was hiding a smile.

By the time they got back to the Gryffindor Common room, they were all laughing so hard it hurt. Little did they know, there was a threat lurking just around the corner.


	3. T W O - Suspicious Studies

The next morning, schedules were posted around the school telling students what day and time their Heritage Studies activity would be. The three friends were assigned Tuesday at 7 pm, after dinner but before curfew. So that evening, after all their classes, Harry, Ron and Hermione trudged down to the Quidditch field where the class was being held to learn about heritage.

"Good evening, students. My name is Mary Cattermole, and you will refer to me as Instructor C, or Instructor Cattermole."

Hermione and Harry noticed that she had grown more confident in how she held herself, and that she seemed like the kind of person that you did not want to get on the bad side of; all Ron noticed was the ground as he was avoiding eye contact with Instructor Cattermole. Yet she was gentle and kind seeming; the perfect person to teach the surprise that the Golden Trio would soon learn.

"This evening I will give you an introduction to this class that will tell you all about what we will be learning, why it's important, and how it will help in your future life.

"As many of you know, blood status is very important to some families, while others do not care whether you are a pure-blood, half-blood, or muggle-born. Part of the reason I am here is to teach you that those differences should be put behind us, and we should have unity. Now don't get me wrong, I am not in any way attempting to downgrade one family or another; I'm simply hoping that you will understand that we are all only human. In the words of a wise man, your late Albus Dumbledore, 'You fail to recognize that it is not what someone is born, but what they grow to be!' It is very important that we-" she gasped as her eyes landed on Ron's face, clearly remembering their... interaction at the Ministry last year. 

However, her expression softened and she continued, "It is important that we remember this and do not dwell on actions taken because of how you are born, but actions taken to do the right thing and stand up for what you believe in.”

It seemed that she was directing this last statement at Ron, intending to show him that she didn't judge him for pretending to be her husband as she now knew that he did it to help end the war against Voldemort and his Death Eaters.

Ron weakly smiled back, and it was all Harry and Hermione could do to not roll on the ground with laughter at how Ron had actually snogged this woman that was now acting like a mother to him!

Throughout the rest of the session, they all made jokes to each other and laughed, remembering the experience and earning themselves a few raised eyebrows from their classmates and Instructor Cattermole.

The Trio began paying attention, however, when she mentioned that they had all recently learned how to brew Blutalysis in Potions class, and they were going to be using it the following Tuesday. They were also particularly intrigued when she said that they were going to be studying Family History to learn if they were related to any of their fellow classmates, however distantly it may be.

"As you may already know, the MoM will be opening a department shortly that will be for the study of family history and how particular relations between people affect them and others. It may be in some of your futures to work in that Department, or get information form the department just to learn.

“If any of you are interested in working in that department, owl me tomorrow as session is over and it's getting quite late. You all have your syllabi, I expect you to come prepared for your session next Tuesday. Class dismissed everyone, good night!"

..................

The students walking back up to the castle were all buzzing with excitement and intrigue at what might come of the next session. Hermione, however, had other questions and concerns that stemmed from this.

"Doesn't this all seem a little strange to you?" She asked the boys as they walked back up to the castle.

"What do you mean? I think she's legitimate, and for once the Ministry is doing something smart and logical," responded Harry while Ron nodded along.

"No, I mean how they just pop into Hogwarts and use students as their test subjects. And who ever heard of wanting to learn more about 'how particular relations between people affect them and others' just for fun? No, the Ministry is up to something. And this is just a hunch, but I think it has to do with someone at Hogwarts and a past relative."

"Well, even if you're right Hermione," Ron started, "there's no way we can find out who they're investigating and why so early in the process. We should let it play out a little, enjoy the change of topic here at school, and see what happens."

Over the summer, Ron had matured a lot, learning things and getting good ideas that actually make sense. He wasn't an airhead anymore, but Harry and Hermione were still a little surprised every time he said something based on logic and evidence, like that.

"Yeah, 'Mione, Ron's right. Let's just wait it out and see what happens. Plus, I'm too tired to do any research or logical thinking tonight," Harry added with a yawn.

"I suppose you're right. Let's go back to the Gryffindor Tower." Hermione stated. But she wasn't put off that easily. Her head was already going through a list of people that the Ministry could be looking into, and one of them was her.


	4. T H R E E - The Letter

Hermione went upstairs to her dorm and, making sure she was alone, pulled out a box of letters from under her bed. She found these in a closet at the Potter's home in Godric's Hollow when she went back with Harry after the war. She didn't know who they were from, but she knew who they were to. She was re-reading them a few weeks ago when two things caught her eye in one of the letters. She read that same letter again today:

_September 19th, 1997_

_Dear Lily,_

_Please come back. James actually came by my house yesterday, hoping you had come back and maybe stopped here first. We had a civil conversation - a very awkward one but civil all the same - talking about possible reasons why you left and where you went. I have a theory, but didn't tell James because he would have freaked out and hunted you down on the spot; you know how he can be. All brave and chivalrous and yada yada. Sorry, I'm getting better at not insulting him because I know you care about him. _

_Anyway, back to why you left. I remember that night nine months ago, don't think me daft. You left exactly one week after that night, and I think I know why. You're pregnant. Believe me, I'm not proud in aiding your cheating on James, and I'm particularly not proud of how it turned out. But you don't have to have this child alone. It's probably due somewhere around this time, and I've faced my fears about it and am ready to be a father. You don't even have to tell James that you're the mother, just give it to me and you can say you found the child on the street._

_Please come home Lily. Everyone needs you, James needs you, and... I need you._

_Love, _

And that's where the letter ended. On every other letter, the name being signed had been burned off, too. But the two things that caught her eye were: one, Hermione had always assumed that the letters were from James Potter to Lily Evans. But they couldn't have been if it talked about James through someone else's eyes. So who was it? The second thing that caught Hermione's eye: the letter talked about how a baby was due around the time the letter was written. And the letter was dated on Hermione's birthday.


	5. F O U R - Opinion From the Ferret

The next morning in the daily prophet there was an article about how Hogwarts had implemented the new Heritage Studies activity. There were interviews about people's opinions on this, some good and some bad. One said that this was a bad idea, because what if someone finds out they're related to a former Death Eater? Another said that this is a good idea because it will teach children to embrace each other's past and not judge each other by their ancestors.

It was a very controversial topic throughout the great hall that morning, and it being spoken about in classes made teaching very difficult for the professors. Hermione still answered questions, as always, but was slightly distracted during classes thinking about the letter and what all this could mean.

After class that evening Hermione made for the library only to find a particular blonde Slytherin boy reading in her normal seat. With books in hand, she stopped short, staring confusedly at Draco Malfoy. After a moment, he spoke.

"Do you need something, Granger? Or are you just admiring my beauty?"

"I- you're- but- wh-what?" Hermione said, flustered. She was caught of guard by his confident tone and very direct questioning of her. She had, in fact, been noticing how smooth his hair looked, rather than the normal greasy appearance it had.

"Let me try this again," he said, looking up from his book. "Why are you staring at me?"

"I'm just surprised to see you in the library," she said, and under her breath she added "in my spot."

"Ah." After a moment when she still did not walk away, he continued. "Well, what do you need? Don't just stand there." Malfoy said it in a way that wasn't mean, but was confused. Then he stood and pulled another chair over next to his, moving his books to one side of the table so she could set hers down. Then he gestured at the seat next to him, sitting back down.

Hermione sat cautiously, opening the book about Wizarding Bloodlines and Heritage Meanings, quickly immersing herself so it wouldn't be awkward around Malfoy. However, for once, she couldn't focus on the words, instead focusing on the person next to her. 

Finally, after giving it much thought, she asked Malfoy a question.

"Do you think it's strange? That the Ministry comes out of nowhere with this new course and tells us to study our ancestors?"

He was silent for a moment before responding, "Yes."

After he didn't continue, she said, "Well, I think they're after someone.Not here at Hogwarts, but that someone here knows of them and where they are.Bringing this program about gives the MoM an excuse to go through everyone's family tree."

"That's what I thought too. But who could they be after? It's not even been a year since the war and they're after another dark wizard? I don't think that's what happening. That's why I was thinking... well... never mind." Draco stopped himself, afraid to be too open with Hermione. He didn't trust her yet, and was fairly certain she didn't trust him.

"What? What do you think? Draco, this could be important, I need to know any other possibilities."

He didn't know why she sounded so worried, and hearing her say his first name took him by surprise, but hearing the despair in her voice made him tell her. "Well, maybe they don't want us to be paying attention to our past bloodlines, but to our future bloodlines."

"You mean, like our children? But why would they- wait. Do they want to..." Hermione couldn't finish. It was too horrible. 

"Yes. I think that they want to control who we marry and have children with. They want to control our bloodlines again."


	6. F I V E - Buried Emotions

Hermione walked into the common room, and found Harry and Ron sitting by the fire, reading over their notes from Heritage Studies.

"Harry! Ron! You won't believe what I just found out about the Ministry!" Hermione leaped over the back of the sofa excitedly and slid onto the seat.

"Whoa, I've never seen you jump that high!" Ron joked. 

"This is important, Ron!" Hermione said, irritated. "I just found out from Draco-"

"Wait, wait, wait." Harry interrupted. "There are two things wrong with that sentence. Ron, help me out here. First off, you said Draco, not Malfoy."

"And more importantly, you said that you just found out something from him, so you were with him. Hermione, I know we're trying to be nice to him, but that doesn't mean you should just walk up to him and start up a conversation. We care about you and don't want you to get hurt, and he is dangerous!" Ron exclaimed.

"Ronald Bilius Weasley! I think that after surviving a wizarding war, I can handle myself around Draco. Plus, we're trying to be friendly, at least I've made an effort!"

"Sorry, sorry," they mumbled. "What was it you needed to tell us?"

"Well, remember how I said that something was bothering me about the Heritage Studies course? I decided to talk to Draco about it," Hermione broke off to slap Ron on the arm after the growl at Draco's name, "and he thinks that maybe the Ministry is trying to control us."

"In what way?" Harry asked, confused.

Hermione sighed, beginning, "Well, think about it. They could be after a person in our past, but why would they do that? It's in the past. So he thought that the Ministry might be trying to control our future bloodlines. Like our kids. That they want us to learn 'the importance of blood purity' and 'why bloodlines should be preserved' so that it will influence who we marry."

"The Ministry wouldn't do that, would they?" Ron faltered. It wouldn't have been the first time the Ministry had plotted behind their backs.

"Well, its a possibility, but the MoM was fighting against Voldemort, which was the side of blood purity." Harry murmured.

"Exactly! They were fighting against Voldemort. That means that they wouldn't want another situation like that, and part of it started because Tom Riddle's father was a muggle and rejected his mother's magic. If Riddle had been a pure-blood, it might have prevented everything having to do with Voldemort!" Hermione rambled.

"So you're saying that they think if they go back to the old ways of only pure-bloods, they can prevent any more dark wizards?" said Ron incredulously. 

"But that's crazy! We're trying to enforce wizarding unity, not wizarding prejudice. That's why we had this whole bloody war! They're indirectly stating that all the deaths, all the sacrifices, everyone who suffered for the cause was pointless because they're going to undo it all anyway!" Harry exclaimed, infuriated. Then his tone changed to mournful and heartbroken.

"Everyone lost people and suffered: George lost part of himself in Fred, Teddy lost parents in Remus and Tonks, Hogwarts lost Cedric and Dumbledore and Snape, I lost... I lost Hedwig and... my mum and dad."

"Harry... I'm sorry. I shouldn't have brought it up. I'll figure it out on my own-" Hermione started.

"No. The Ministry did this, and I will personally make them pay if they are meddling in our lives. Let's just survive this four-week study, okay? We'll do this together." Harry said bravely. Then he excused himself and went to bed, with Ron close behind.

As Hermione sat there she started to think about that letter again, the one between Lily Potter and an anonymous person. It got her thinking about Heritage Studies... and...


	7. S I X - Agree to Disagree

"Welcome to your second session of Heritage Studies!"

The trio was at their usual Tuesday evening session, and this time they were paying extra attention to the details.They were determined to see if something fishy was going on.

"When you walked in today, I'm sure you didn't notice anything out of the ordinary," Instructor Catermole began.

"Well, some people might say there is something wrong with this room. For starters, blood status. When Headmistress McGonagall made the groups of student that would have sessions together, she made sure there was a range of pure-blood, half-blood, and muggleborn."

Some of the students looked around, trying to determine who was what status. That's when the trio noticed that Draco Malfoy was in their sessions group and that he didn't seem to care who was who.

Strange, Hermione thought.

"If I hadn't just told you that, I'm sure you wouldn't have noticed or cared. And that is our lesson for today. Training you to realize that there is no difference in people whether you were born into a wizarding family or not."

Harry and Ron exchanged looks of incredulity about Hermione and Draco's theory.

"'Mione," Harry whispered, "I know you really had faith in your idea, but I don't think that the MoM is trying to control bloodlines."

"Yeah, I mean, look at this lesson. They're trying to encourage unity, not hate," Ron finished.

"If you boys don't believe me, that's fine. I'll just talk to Draco again and we'll figure out what they're doing." Hermione began to collect her things so that once Instructor C said they could work with partners, she could be with Draco.

"Well, that's the thing."Ron layed his hand on Hermione's to stop her from packing up."I think that Draco is trying to get in to your head. I don't know why - maybe it's his sick way of apologizing or something - but you shouldn't talk to him," Ron said protectively.

"Ronald Weasley! Stop with this nonsense! He is a fine person, and just because you can't see he's changing, doesn't mean I don't either."

"Keep your voice down 'Mione," Ron whisper-shouted. "We know that he's changing. But nobody changes that quickly."

Hermione was at a loss for words. How could they think these things about Draco? After all that they had been through, they should show more sympathy. 

"I'm disappointed. I thought you guys had moved past this. I-"

"Mr. Weasley, Ms. Granger, is everything alright? If I am interrupting something, you may leave the area to discuss it somewhere where you won't distract the class," Instructor C gently scolded. 

"No, that's quite alright, I was just moving seats so that I'm less distracted and can listen to your lesson," she said with a bitter glance towards the boys. "I'm sorry Instructor."

"That's alright. Just move quickly so we may continue. As I was saying..."

Hermione moved to sit next to Draco, Blaise, and Pansy. All three were incredibly surprised that Hermione would even consider sitting next to them, much less actually do it.

"What are you doing here?" Draco asked.

"Shhhhh," Hermione said, and began listening to the instructions for the activity.

————————————

"Partner?" Hermione said to Draco.

"Uh, sure. Why not?"

Instructor C wanted them to get a partner of a different blood status and try to talk to each other without thinking about that status gap. Once they could do that, they were dismissed.

"Why did you move away from your friends?" Draco inquired to start their conversation.

"They don't believe our theory about," she lowered her voice, "about the Ministry."

"Well, of course not. One of them just died to end this whole problem and the other has family that works there. They may not consciously acknowledge it, but neither of them wants to believe the MoM is bad anymore."

"You're right. I guess I'll just have to talk to you about it instead. What should we do?"

"I don't know. I guess we should research it until we have proof or an opportunity to get proof about this theory."

Hermione was surprised that she was having a conversation with a person with her same intellectual strength. It was a nice change from talking to Harry and Ron, though she loved them. She began to look at Draco in a new light. One that includes her heart fluttering ever so slightly at the thought of him.

"Good idea. I'll research Ministry history and see if there's anything that might hint at why they are doing this."

"And I'll research Voldemort's past and how the first Wizarding war started to see if there are any hints there."

"Wonderful! You know, it's kind of nice talking to someone almost as smart as me," Hermione said.

"Almost? Hah, I would say more smart," Draco teased with a sly smile.Was he flirting?

"How about, just as smart. Agree to disagree?"

"Agree to disagree. Hey, we had this conversation without thinking about blood status once. That's pretty good for a Slytherin boy that's just as smart as you, huh?"

"Yeah. If we're done, I should get going. See you around!" With that, Hermione grabbed her bag and walked off with a new bounce in her step, one that he hadn't seen since sixth year. Before all the pressure of the war started.

"Yeah, see you around," he whispered to himself, watching as she closed the castle doors behind her.


	8. S E V E N - The Deal With Him

It had been two days since Hermione and Draco hit it off at the Heritage Studies lesson.Hermione was still angry and Harry and Ron, openly avoiding them in all her classes. 

Meanwhile, her and Draco were spending more time together.Instead of their usual partners, they would work together in classes. If they passed in the halls they would smile and say "hi" to each other, which earned them many strange looks from their classmates.Dean and Seamus decided to talk to Hermione.

"Hello boys!What can I do for you today?"Hermione greeted them at breakfast.

"Well, we noticed that you have been avoiding Harry and Ron.Is everything good between you guys?"Seamus' sweet, thick accent always comforted Hermione, as if he was her brother.

"We just disagreed about someone's personality, that's all.I'm waiting for them to open their eyes and see he's a good person," she said, her eyes wandering to the Slytherin table where Draco was laughing at something Blaise said.

"Ahh.I see.Malfoy.That brings us to our second point.Are you two okay?You've been enemies for seven years and suddenly you're talking in the hallways and partnering up in class," Dean said.

"Yeah we don't mean to be nosy but are you sure that's, you know, safe?"

"Of course it is!Why does everyone keep saying that!"Now Hermione's voice was rising, enough to make some people look over, including Draco and his buddies."Draco is a wonderful person that's trying to change from the ways laid upon him by his family.Is that so bad?We've all done some things that we regret, but we all accept each other afterwards. So let's accept Draco.Stop picking on him.I'm being his friend, why can't you?"

By the end of her short speech, the entire student body was watching her say this.

"Okay Hermione, if you really think so.But, maybe just be careful?"Seamus said, glancing at Dean before they walked away.

Hermione angrily grabbed some breakfast and walked out of the great Hall, heading to the library.

——————————

"Thought I'd find you here," Draco said.

"If you're here to tell me why I shouldn't hang out with you, don't bother.Enough people have tried - and failed."

"No.I came to thank you. What you said in the Great Hall this morning, well, it meant a lot to me.Not very many people see that I'm trying to become a better person.I'm glad you do."He said the last part quietly, so much so that Hermione barely heard.But she did.

"Of course.I would stand up for a friend anytime."Hermione said sincerely, looking up at him.They looked at each other's eyes for a moment too long, just enough to make it awkward. 

"Anyway," Draco said, looking away, "we have classes we have to get to now.But maybe we should come to the library tonight to research our theory?"

"That... sounds great.See you then, Draco."

As she passed him, her hand brushed his.Sparks flared in both of their hearts, but neither made a move to enhance that moment.When she left the library, she had an unreasonable desire just to be with him.But she would wait until tonight.

————————————

Hermione was already at the library when Draco walked in.It was six minutes past 6:30, when they said they would meet.

"You're late."

"I'd like to think I'm fashionably late," he said with a smirk."Plus, I brought food!"

"Thanks, I'm starved.Where did you get all this?There's no way you could've snuck it out of the great hall."

"I talked to the house elves. In sixth year, when I got the mark, I would avoid eating in the Great Hall. The house elves took pity on me and started bringing me food. I just asked them nicely to make us some for tonight."

"You didn't force them, right?Because S.P.E.W. is still an honorable foundation."

"S.P.E.W.?"Draco asked confusedly.

"Never mind.I'm glad you treat the house elves well."

"I do.We should start researching."

As they munched on the food, the looked through books quietly and pointed out anything they found.It was hard work, but they quickly lost track of time. 

"Draco, I love spending time with you in the library, but it's late.We should go-"

"Look!I found something!"Draco pushed the book towards Hermione and read aloud.

"In the year before the first Wizarding War, there was a program called Ancestry Analysis. It was a program in the Ministry of Magic that allowed someone to research who their predecessors were, and to see how rich their blood was. 

"If one was to participate in the program, depending on ones blood richness, one could be paid. Wizards and witches that had royal families or a heritage rich in pure blood were paid more than those with muggle families. Nobody knows why the MoM began unfairly treating citizens, but it got worse as time went on.

"People began fighting and rubbing their riches in the faces of poorer families. Those pure bloods allied with He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named to control bloodlines. Many protested for a law to be put in place saying that pure bloods weren't allowed to mate with anyone of lower status, and neither were half-bloods. Muggle borns had a lower chance of giving birth to a magical child if both parents were muggle borns. 

"Some pure bloods even went as far as killing muggle borns and sometimes half-bloods. That is when Harry Potter was born. He defeated He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named in one night, and the nonsense ended. For now."

"I knew it! They are trying to do the same thing that was done here with Ancestry Analysis," Draco exclaimed.

"Well then we have to stop them! But... why would they try to do this again?It doesn't make sense."

"I don't know why either. Let's find out tomorrow. Same place, same time?" Draco asked.

"Sure. We should go back to our dorms."

"Let me walk you to the Gryffindor Tower."

As they walked towards the tower, they heard voices coming from behind the curtains. Draco and Hermione shared a glance before walking closer to listen in.

"I told you to make it absolutely clear that pure bloods are the greater part of our species. That's why we let you take this job! You said you would do anything we needed you to." It was a deep, angry, male voice speaking. Then a female vice began speaking.

"But why? Why would pure bloods need to be promoted? We just finished fighting a war, we don't need to spark another one!" It was Instructor Cattermole speaking now, sounding defiant.

Suddenly they heard the clap of a hand meeting flesh. By the sound of the whimper, the man had just slapped Cattermole. 

"Let's try this again. From this moment on, your lessons do not promote blood equality. They will make students aware that pure bloods are the higher form of wizard and witch. It's how we hold up our end of the deal with him. Understood?"

"Yes, sir. I'm sorry sir." Cattermole spoke quietly and submissively. 

"Good. I expect to hear better reports of you from now on."

Hermione and Draco hurried away so they wouldn't be caught. Once they were around the corner, out of breath for a few moments, Hermione asked the question pressing them both.

"The Ministry is up to something, we know this now for sure. But... who did they mean by he?"

"I don't know, but if it's who I think it is... we're in trouble."


	9. E I G H T - Slytherin in the Common Room

"Harry! Ron! Quick, I need to tell you something," Hermione whisper-shouted across the common room. When she got back from her library meeting with Draco and they heard the conversation, she knew the only two people she could tell were her best friends.

"Okay? Aren't you still supposed to be mad at us?" Ron questioned suspiciously.

"Oh, get over yourselves. You know I love you both so shut up and listen." The boys exchanged glances before giving Hermione their full attention. Hermione recounted what her and Draco learned in the library, then told the boys about the conversation between Cattermole and the MoM worker. "The man said something about how she needed to stop encouraging blood equality and make a point of how pure bloods are better than everyone else. She asked him why and he slapped her."

"He what?! Hermione, we have to tell someone," Harry said passionately.

She waved it off saying, "That's not all. He went on to say something about holding up their end of the deal with someone. The man wouldn't say who, but only referred to the person as 'him'. As in..." Hermione left that sentence open-ended. "No. It can't be. Do you mean..." Ron said, quietly astonished. "Voldemort."

———————————

Draco couldn't stop thinking about the time he spent with Hermione. He felt the sparks when their hands brushed against each other, and was willing to bet she did too. However, the biggest thing he couldn't stop thinking of was the conversation they overheard.

How is it possible for Voldemort to be back? He watched Harry kill him. The trio destroyed all the Horcruxes. Yet Draco was sure that the man and Cattermole were talking about Voldemort. And what could that do with bloodlines? Even if Voldemort was back, what on earth would he be doing with the ministry? They were enemies during the war. Although, so were Draco and the Trio... The Trio! Harry!

Draco grabbed his cloak and dashed out of the dorm, running as quietly as he could to the Gryffindor Common Room. Once he got there, however, he had no idea how to get inside. Luckily, Harry, Ron and Hermione walked out and straight into Draco.

"Ow!" Draco exclaimed.

"I'm sorry, I- Draco? What are you doing here?" Hermione asked.

"I came to talk to you. I just realized... the program. The conversation. Our theory. I know why they're doing it all!"

"What?" Hermione asked, then shook her head. "Let's go back to the library. Explain it there."

Harry and Ron looked at each other before glaring at the pair, jogging to catch up.


	10. N I N E - Draco's Theory and the New Girl

"Okay Malfoy. Before we get started, let's chat," Harry began, pulling him back so the boys were a few paces behind Hermione.

"Yeah. Hermione might trust you, but we sure as hell don't. Not yet. So keep yourself in check if you want to earn our trust," Ron added.

"Oh? That's nice but can I just-" Draco tried to start explaining but was cut off.

"No. Wait. Not only do you have to earn out trust, but you have to earn our forgiveness. For years we've been enemies. You've picked on us and we picked on you. If we're going to put this in the past, it's going to take a while." Ron said strongly.

"Also, you have to earn our approval. Ron and I, we're like brothers to Hermione. If you want to keep spending time with her, I want one of us to know every time you hang out. We want her to be safe and it's in her best interest for us to look out for her. Got it?"

"Yes. Now if you two are done, I'd like to get back to explaining things to your ignorant little arses," Draco said with a frustrated sigh.

———————————

Draco was confused.

I mean, he was always confused when it came to the Golden Trio, but now he was more confused than usual.

What did they mean 'if you want to keep spending time with Hermione?' Did she tell them she likes him?

No. That's ridikulous. She doesn't like him. Does she?

"Where are you going Draco?" Hermione pulled him out of his thoughts.

Bloody hell. He just walked right past the library. Oh god.

"Yeah, sorry, I was just thinking."

"Well Malfoy, if you could do your thinking out loud? In the library preferably," Ron commented sardonically.

"Ronald! Stop being rude!" Hermione chastised. _Hmm... maybe she does like me, _Draco thought. But he shook those thoughts out of his mind.

Once they were in the library, they made sure to ask Madam Prince to keep it open for a few more minutes, as it was almost curfew. She loved Hermione so much that she instantly granted it, even though she shot the boys disgusted glances.

"But be careful, someone is in your usual library spot, Miss Granger," Madam Pince warned.

"Probably a first year. I'll work it out. Thank you," Hermione said, already walking towards the back corner of the library where she found Draco that day.

She stopped in her tracks when she saw a new student reading there. The student looked about sixth or seventh year and was wearing Gryffindor robes, sitting in Hermione's usual chair.

"Excuse me? I don't believe we've met before. I'm-"

"Hermione Granger. And your friends are Ron, Harry and Draco," the girl said smoothly. "I'm Izzy. Izzy Whethers. And I know I'm in your spot, I just didn't expect you to be here this late at night."

"Oh. Well, I'm glad that we know each other now," Hermione said, slightly shaken that this girl immediately knew who she was and why she was talking to her. "My friends and I need to do something important. I won't make you move as I love a good book too-" she gestured to the book in Izzy's hands, "-but we'll be over there, so please don't disturb us. Sorry to interrupt your reading!" With that, Hermione walked away, the boys following.

Harry thought it was strange that he had never seen her before, even though she looked to be about his age and in his house. Then again, he wasn't a very observant person.

\----------------------

"The ministry began a Heritage Studies program as part of the deal with Voldemort," Draco began confidently, once they all sat down. "I think he wanted them to do this for two reasons. One, so he could have an excuse to look in files on people and search for someone. Two, to create unrest about the 'importance' of pure bloods.

"Why would he want to make pure bloods seem more important? To start a feud between blood. He needs this because he needs to fuel the unrest in the world for when he makes his power move.

"That brings me to my second point. He needs to be able to go through files to find someone. I believe he is looking for someone that might be a threat to him as he tries to regain power. At least, that's what I assume he's doing."

Ron looked at Draco incredulously. "You're assuming quite a bit here. How do we even know that Voldemort is back?"

"Ron... I think Mal-," Harry sighed and started again, "I think Draco is right. I know my scar disappeared, but I've been getting the same feelings that I used to when Voldemort was rising to power."

"So Voldemort is back. But who could he be after? Who at this school could be a threat to him at all?" Hermione asked.

"Me," responded Harry.

"Actually, no." They all looked at Draco in surprise. "I'm sorry to burst your little bubble of heroism, but he wouldn't be looking for you again. That'd be suicide. He wouldn't be looking for a Muggleborn because he's trying to prove they're worthless. He'd be looking for someone that could pose a threat and be used as leverage if captured.

"That's why I came to you. I thought maybe you'd know who Voldemort could be after."

"Uhh... the only person I can think of is Neville, but everyone knows Neville's heritage so there would be no reason for this program," Harry said.

"Well you're a great help," Draco said, putting his head in his hands.

"It's not like you know either!" Harry exclaimed.

"Well then what do we do now? We have no clue who the person is, and a loose idea of what's going on. We're hopeless!" Ron complained.

"No we're not."

Everyone turned to look at Hermione.

"Meet me back here, tomorrow, at 11:00."

"Hermione, what are you-" Draco began.

"Just meet me here, okay? We've got to get to bed."

"Why? It's Saturday!" Ron called after her as she rushed out of the library.

"Well, that settles it. We have a lead and a mystery to solve. It's like those muggle television shows," Draco muttered to himself, ruffling his hair, loosening his tie, unbuttoning his shirt a bit and unzipping his fly.

"What the bloody hell are you doing?" Ron asked, watching Draco dishevel himself.

"It'll look less suspicious when I'm leaving the library if it looks like I've just had a good shagging. I might have a bad reputation, but I still have people falling over me," he said like it was obvious. "Oh, and don't try it. It's not like you and it won't fly. Unless I was shagging one of you..." he said with a wink and then laughed at their horrified faces.

And then there were two.

As Ron and Harry silently walked back to the common room, neither of them noticed a Gryffindor girl hiding behind a bookcase, eavesdropping on the entire conversation that was just had.


	11. T E N - Following the Kiss

She heard everything.

Izzy couldn't believe it. I mean, she had waited for the trio because she thought they were up to something, but she didn't know it was that extreme! And she certainly hadn't expected an ex-Death Eater to be there with them.

She decided she wanted in. Into their plans and plots, and she wanted to help. But she wouldn't ask immediately, she would follow them around and get enough information to blackmail them into letting her help, if needed.

Her first opportunity to get information presented itself as she avoided Harry and Ron, following Draco, who was clearly trying to catch up with Hermione. This was going to be good...

\----------------------------

Draco caught up with Hermione outside the library. He needed to talk to her.

"Hermione!" he whisper-shouted. "'Mione!" He liked he way her name rolled off his tongue so easily, filling his mouth with the beautiful sound.

"Draco? Why do you look so... so..." she couldn't finish her sentence, eyes taking in every part of Draco.

"So much like I've just been shagged?" He finished for her. "It'll look less suspicious if I look like this than if I'm leaving the library late at night on a Saturday with no damage. See?"

She did see. She saw very clearly how beautiful he looked like this. But it was because she loved how he looked when he didn't have anyone else on him. It was just him and her in the hallway.

She shook those thoughts from her mind. She'd just broken up with Ron before school started and decided they'd be friends. She didn't need a boyfriend.

"Did you need something?" She asked, pulling him around a corner so they weren't out in the open.

"I need to know what your plan is. Who Voldemort might be after. I want to be able to put protections in place if needed. I want to make sure that what happened to Harry, what happened to you all, doesn't happen to anyone else."

Hermione looked at him, touched by his sudden kindness, and sighed. Suddenly, she heard a clatter. They looked around and figured it was probably Peeves.

Lowering her voice further, she said, "Draco, that's sweet but I really don't think you can do anything for them."

"Really? And why is that?"

She took a deep breath and impulsively closed the distance. Her lips were on his, feeling their warmth and softness, feeling them move under hers, feeling them react and kiss her back.

Draco put his arms around her waist and pulled her closer so their bodies were touching. She wrapped her arms around his neck and continued the gentle yet passionate kiss.

She pulled away and put her head in the crook of his neck, whispering something that would hurt him more than the Dark Mark ever could.

"You can't do anything because... I think he's after me."


	12. E L E V E N - Plotting Girl

A single tear trailed down his cheek. It was like the day in Malfoy Manor when he had to watch Hermione be tortured. He didn't know why but he wanted so badly to stop her pain. Now he knows why.

Draco loved everything about her. From her habits and looks to her brains and her personality, he just couldn't imagine a better person to spend his time with.

And now she was being threatened. Just like Draco's family was during the dark lord's reign, creating leverage against Draco.

He couldn't stand it.

Hermione looked up at Draco after she felt the tear hit her head. She pulled away a little to see him better.

"Why are you crying?"

"Because I can't stand the thought of him hurting you. Or hurting anybody. I realized that on the day you were tortured at the Manor. I didn't know I liked you, but I knew it was wrong to see you in pain like this.

"From that day on, I realized how horrible it was to hurt people. I tried to stop, to get away from them, but they were threatening my mother. Now... now they're threatening you."

"Oh Draco. Draco, you don't have to worry about me. I've been through everything this life can throw at me, remember? I am, after all, friends with Harry Potter," she said with a half-smile.

Draco then thought a little harder and couldn't come up with any reasons why Voldemort would hunt for her.

"Why is he after you?"

Suddenly they heard another clatter coming from around the corner.

"I'll explain tomorrow in the library. I've got to go. Bye!" Hermione placed a small peck on Draco's cheek, then quietly ran in the direction of the Gryffindor common room.

Draco headed around to his common room, away from the footsteps. When he got it his dorm, he touched his lips. They still tasted like Hermione.

This was going to be fun to explain to Blaise and Pansy.

\---------------------------

Hermione got back to the common room to see Ron and Harry walking up to their dorm. They saw her trying to sneak up to her dorm.

"'Mione? I thought you were already here. Where were you?" Ron asked for both boys.

"Uhh... I was- well, funny story- it's- uhh-" she didn't know what to say. _I was just making out with Draco and telling him things I haven't told you two yet. Nothing big!_ But she finally came up with a believable explanation.

"There was someone coming, and so I had to hide and take a longer way here."

"Okay... goodnight?"

"Night!" she exclaimed a little too quickly, bounding up the stairs to her room.

When she got there, she thought about getting her things ready for tomorrow but knew she could just ask Madam Pince if she could brew the potion in the library the next morning.

She fell asleep that night holding on to the feeling of Draco's lips on hers.

\-----------------------------------------

Twice! Twice Izzy almost gave herself away!

_Note to self, next time I want to spy on someone, a suit of armor is NOT the best place to hide._

She knew that Hermione and Draco had noticed her slip-ups because Hermione left after the second clatter. If she was going to join them, she needed to be a better spy.

_Harry is so good at spying with his invisibility cloak, if only I had one- _

That's it! To prove to them she was a good spy and useful on their team, she needed to break in to Harry's room and steal his invisibility cloak, use it to spy on them, then reveal herself. It's a flawless plan!

The only problem is how to steal the cloak...


	13. T W E L V E - It's a Match

Izzy made sure that Harry and Ron had already left the next morning for breakfast before she jumped off the couch and levitated herself up the stairs to the boys' dorm.

_Goodness, it's a disaster in here!_ she thought, wrinkling her nose as a foul smell wafted out of one of the many trunks strewn carelessly around the room.

Though, it was very easy to tell whose bed was whose. Ron's had lots of Quidditch posters and family pictures. Harry's had Quidditch posters and things too, but he had a family album on his nightstand with pictures of him and his parents before they died.

She headed over to his bed and gently patted it down, trying to see if he might've hidden it under the covers. When Izzy didn't find anything, she moved on to the trunk under the bed.

Opening it carefully so as not to spill anything out of it, she dug around and found it at the bottom underneath another cloak that looked similar from the outside.

_Clever. Harry is very clever..._

She grabbed it and put it on, just in case someone came in and saw her, replacing the trunk and making sure the bed was made the same way she had found it. Then she snuck out the same way she came, a victorious smile on her face.

\--------------------------

The next morning, Hermione awoke to a owl tapping on her window. She opened it and the owl swooped in, hopping on to her pillow. Hermione untied the note and read it.

11 in the library isn't going to work. I'm held up. Change time to 12?

See you then ;) <3

DM

She couldn't believe it. Draco Malfoy had the audacity to change her plans and draw a tiny heart? She smiled to herself.

After taking a shower and eating some breakfast, she woke up Harry and Ron and told them about the change of plans. Then she grabbed her potion supplies and headed to Snape's old ingredient storage closet. After grabbing the ingredients she needed to brew her potion, she headed to the library.

Once she was in her area of the library, she started brewing. It was a potion they had made at the very beginning of the year but she still remembered how to brew it.

"One empty vial, warmed in the makers hands for two minutes, check," Hermione muttered to herself.

"Hermione? Are you here?" She heard Draco call.

"Back here!"

"Oh good. I was- what are you doing?"

"I'll explain when Harry and Ron get here. Now, you were saying?"

"Right. I was talking to Blaise and Pansy."

"That's it?" She asked, stunned. "You were talking to them? You postponed defeating Voldemort for an entire hour to talk to your friends?"

"It was important! It was about... well..."

"What? What could possibly be more important than this?" Hermione questioned, slightly frustrated.

"You." Hermione fell silent. "I was telling them about us and how I didn't want them using the word 'mudblood' anymore."

Hermione went quiet. "Oh."

She was about to ask what "us" meant, but just then, Harry and Ron walked in.

"What this 'Mione?" Harry asked.

Draco looked away as Hermione cleared her throat.

"Blutalysis. Remember, the blood testing potion? Well, this is how I'm going to prove my theory. It's easier than telling you, that's for sure."

"Telling us? Telling us what?" Harry and Ron worriedly questioned, but Draco just looked resigned.

"Malfoy, what do you know?" Ron asked fiercely.

"He doesn't know anything. Focus on this right now. Harry, come here."

She grabbed Harry's hand and pricked his finger before he knew what she was doing. Once his blood was in, she pricked her own finger and dropped the blood in.

Draco quietly gasped, catching on, as Hermione poured the potion into the vial with hers and Harry's blood.

"Green means incompatible," she said as the potion faded from clear to green, then to blue and purple. "Blue means compatible. Purple means it's similar, and red means..."

"It's a match," Harry whispered as the potion faded into a thick, blood red.


	14. T H I R T E E N - If Looks Could Kill

"No..." Draco whispered.

The silence was so thick you could cut with a knife and spread it on bread. Finally, Harry spoke up.

"How long have you known?"

"A month or so," Hermione muttered. "I don't know, I just guessed. But... I've been speculating since our visit to Godric's Hallow over the summer. When we visited your - our, I don't know - parents house, I found some letters. I didn't realize what they meant until yesterday when Draco said they were looking for someone that could pose a threat like you did."

"So... we have the same parents?"

"No. Lily is my mum. I don't know who my dad is."

"What do you mean? James is your dad, isn't he?"

"No. What I got from the letters is that Lily got in a fight with James and spent time with someone else. Someone she was really close to, and they got so close they had me. She didn't tell either of them, but my father figured it out. Your dad never knew, I don't think."

"Oh. Oh god. I think I know who your dad is." Harry said with wide eyes.

"What? Who?"

"Yeah, who?" Ron questioned. The two had forgot Ron and Draco were there.

"Well, during the war I saw Severus' memories, remember? He... he was best friends with my- our- mum. I think that's who the letters were from. Severus Snape is... well, I think he's your dad."

—————————

Snape? Hermione's dad? Impossible. Potter must be on something. That make absolutely no sense!

Although... Draco could see it. He could see how she inherited Lily's hair and beautiful smile, Severus' brown eyes, but... did he know? Did Severus know that Hermione was his child?

He probably did but kept it to himself.

"Oh god. This is why he's after you," Draco said.

"What?!" The boys exclaimed.

"Draco!" Hermione exclaimed. If looks could kill, Draco would be dead.

"Hermione! You're the reason they're doing Heritage Studies? You're the one Voldemort's after?" Harry asked worriedly.

"Yeah. She is. She told me yesterday," Draco said, hurrying them along. "If she's Severus' child, Voldemort would definitely be going after her, because he killed him. But I don't think he knows it's her yet, so we still have time."

"Time to do what?!" Hermione questioned.

But just then, McGonagall walked into the library. 

"Yes, time to do what?" She asked, eyeing them all suspiciously. Her eyes lingered on Draco for slightly longer than the rest. He raised an eyebrow in return, possibly challenging her to question him.

Keeping his eyes in contact with McGonagall's, he answered, "Time to prepare for our Heritage Studies session in a few days."

"Yes, that's a nice thing to have time for. Perhaps you should actually prepare instead of simply talking about it."

"Yes, we will Professor."

The four sighed a breath of relief when she left, and felt secure. This is the best time to reveal herself, Izzy decided.


	15. F O U R T E E N - Boo

Izzy put the invisibility cloak on and crept out from behind the bookshelf she was hiding behind. She walked up to the table where the four troublemakers were sitting. It was surprisingly easy to creep up on them, because they weren't expecting it.

She sat in an already pulled out chair at the table between Harry and Draco and whispered "boo!"

Everyone jumped and wants were ready within moments.

"Who's there?" Ron defended.

Izzy removed the cloak confidently, folding it and putting it in her lap. "Calm down. It's just me."

The four exchanged confused glances before lowering their wands.

"What do you want?" Draco growled.

"So glad you asked! I want in."

"In?"

"Yes. In this group. I want to help stop Voldemort. I want to help protect Hermione. And before you protest," she said, holding up her hand to interrupt their protests, "I stole the Invisibility Cloak right out of Harry's trunk. I eavesdropped on you all for the past week. Even in Heritage Studies I was listening to you guys. So do you really want me _not_ helping you out?"

They all lowered their wands.

"So it was you that Draco and I heard clattering in the hall last night?" Hermione asked.

"Yes! Apologies for making the noises. I've learned not to hide in suits of armor anymore. But what you and Draco were, uhhh, doing... that was some interesting-"

"You're in!" Draco exclaimed, cutting her off.

"Hold on, no no, what were you and Draco doing?" Harry asked, turning to Hermione.

"We were just talking. But what does it matter? We've got a spy now, Izzy was your name, right?" Hermione spoke quickly.

Izzy smiled. "Yep. Now, what's the plan?"

————————————

There was no plan. They decided to reconvene after their Tuesday HS lesson.

The boys wanted to constantly have someone protecting Hermione, but she wouldn't have any of it. She protested until she had to threaten to not help them with homework for the rest of the year. Finally they relented.

All five decided to go to Hogsmeade together. as Eighth Years, McGonagall gave them certain privileges, such unlimited access to Hogsmeade.

Hermione and Draco were in front, and Harry and Ron were in the middle. Izzy brought up he rear, since she wasn't really friends with any of them.

That's when Harry fell into step beside Izzy.

"You looked lonely," he said in explanation.

"Alrighty. I don't mind company from the Golden Boy," she said, teasing him.

Harry sighed. "I never did like the fame of being The Boy Who Lived."

"Really?"

"Nope. I hate attention. And it automatically gave everyone this... impression of me. People expect me to either be heroic or they assume I'm snobby and don't want to be friends with me. I haven't even known about my fame for half my life."

"Wait, really?"

"Yea. I grew up with my muggle aunt and uncle and cousin. I didn't know I'm a wizard until my eleventh birthday."

He paused, frowning. "Sorry, I barely know you and I'm spilling out my childhood."

"No, that's fine. I like hearing about you. You're interesting." She smiled a little.

"I'm not that interesting. The interesting person here is you. How on earth did you manage to take my cloak? Which I will need back by the way."

"It was quite simple," she said, tossing the cloak at his head. "Although it was clever, hiding it near another cloak that looked similar. You really need to lock your truck better."

"I can't believe it!" He was mock offended. "You stole my cloak and are criticizing my security? How dare you."

She laughed, playfully shoving him. He pushed back gently, and she went to push him again but missed.

Izzy fell, but not on the floor. Harry caught her, spinning her around to face him. They both froze. Izzy regained her composure first, stepping out of his arms and blushing wildly.

He blushed too, but not as much. Luckily, Ron saved them.

"Harry! Come here, mate."

Harry glanced at Izzy before walking ahead to talk to Ron.


	16. F I F T E E N - She Admits

"What was that?!?" Ron asked, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

"What?" Harry said.

"That, with Izzy. _That_."

"Oh. Nothing. I'm just not using to catching falling girls."

"And I suppose she's not used to being the falling girl that's caught?"

"Shut up," Harry said, blushing again.

Ron laughed. "Anyway, I wanted to talk to you about them." He gestured to Draco and Hermione. "Izzy said they were doing something? I'm nervous about how much time she spends with him. I think... I think she likes him."

"She probably does. But..."

"But what?"

"But that's her choice I guess. And as mean as he was to us in the past, Malfoy seems nicer now. The war totally changed him."

"But he was a Death Eater! That's ridiculous! Maybe he's lying about wanting to help and is feeding info to Voldemort." Ron protested.

"Hermione's a smart girl. If he's not who he says he is, she'll know. We have to support her. She wont like it if we're babying her." Harry seemed resigned, like he was watching his sister grow up. I mean, he kinda was.

"I guess you're right." Ron admitted. "But if Malfoy and 'Mione start dating-" he shuddered "-then we're gonna have to sit down and have a chat with him first."

"Good idea."

——————————————

That night, after their group outing to Hogsmeade, in the common room, Izzy was sitting in a chair slightly away from the Golden Trio but still close enough to be part of the conversation.

It appears, however, that they forgot she was there, because they started talking seriously.

"Alright 'Mione, listen up," Ron began.

Hermione sighed and closed her book. "If you're going to lecture me about Malfoy again-"

"We are, but not in the way you'd expect. Calm down."

"We've noticed that you and Malfoy have grown, er- rather close." Harry held up his hand to shush Hermione as he continued. "We've agreed that's okay. But... if you... if you start to get... romantic with him..."

"Harry, what on earth are you talking about?" Hermione interrupted, a slightly nervous look on her face. She never could lie to her friends very well.

"You clearly like Malfoy and he clearly likes you. If you don't start dating then I'll make you two date! Harry and I can't deal with the tension between you two, bloody hell!" Ron exclaimed, a little loudly. Luckily they were alone in the common room. Except for Izzy, who still seems to have been forgotten.

"I- I don't- what- why- I don't-" Hermione sputtered helplessly, growing redder by the minute. "Okay fine! I do like him. But calm down Ronald, we've already kissed once, so it's not like you need to do much."

"Aha! I knew it!" Ron looked a little proud of himself for "figuring it out".

"No mate, you didn't," Harry said.

"It doesn't matter," Hermione began. "I understand you two are hesitant of this becoming a relationship but calm down. I know how to handle myself and he's a good man. Loyal, kind, beautiful, good muscles, eyes like-"

"Okay! Okay we get it," Ron shuddered.

"Now we just have to talk to Malfoy," Harry stated, turning to Ron.

"No! Please don't!" Hermione exclaimed.

"Hermione, as your... as your brother and your friend we're going to have to talk to him. Nothing you can do or say will stop us from doing so. So hush."

And with that, Ron and Harry went upstairs.

Hermione turned to Izzy, who apparently was not forgotten.

"It'll be okay, right? Draco won't get scared away?" Hermione asked.

Izzy pauses before responding. "If he truly loves you, nothing they can do or say will scare him away."


	17. S I X T E E N - The Right Sort

It was Monday evening. The Trio, Malfoy, and Izzy went through their classes that day as usual. They decided that for them to succeed in defeating Voldemort, they all needed to know each other and have a connection.

So, the boys were to spend time in the Slytherin Common Room and the girls in the Gryffindor Common Room.

Dinner came and went, and soon the boys and girls parted ways. Time to spend some quality time together. None of them would admit it, but they were all dreading it.

———————————

**SLYTHERIN COMMON ROOM**

"This is it," Draco said. "The home of the Slytherins."

"It's changed a bit since we last were here," Ron said. Then his eyes widened and he clapped his hand over his mouth.

"What do you mean? You've been here before? When and who let you in?" Draco was instantly suspicious.

"Well, I... I mean- I didn't say..." Ron stuttered.

"You did." Harry spoke.

"Excuse me?" Draco asked.

"You let us in. Second year. After the Halloween feast. We... we thought that you were opening the Chamber of Secrets. We thought you were the Heir of Slytherin, so we drugged Crabbe and Goyle, used Polyjuice Potion to pretend to be them, and snuck into the common room with you."

"What? I don't remember... wait a minute. Goyle didn't need glasses to read?"

** _[Flashback:_ **

_Malfoy: "Why are you wearing glasses?"_

_Goyle: "Uh... reading."_

_Malfoy: "Reading? I didn't know you could read."_

** _End Flashback]_ **

Harry chuckled. "I don't even think he could read."

"Wait, you really thought I was the Heir of Slytherin?" Malfoy asked.

"Well, pureblooded, most famous and infamous Slytherin at Hogwarts at the time, rich, well-known, snobbish-"

"Excuse me? I was not snobbish." Malfoy protested.

"My father will hear about this!" Ron mocked.

"I did not sound like that!"

"Yeah... yeah you did." Harry said.

"Fine. So I was a little stuck up. But what Slytherin wasn't?" Malfoy defended.

"None of them. None of them weren't stuck up. That's literally the point." Harry teased.

"Whatever. At least I could see what was right in front of me." Draco said to them.

"What do you mean?"

"Hermione Time-Traveled around you two for an entire year and you didn't even notice! And Ron, you fancied her! How unobservant is it that two thought that her being weird and late for classes was just normal?" He pointed out.

"Alright, we'll give you that. But to be fair, she was good at hiding it okay! No one else noticed either."

"I noticed! I noticed like two weeks into the year!"

"Yeah but you either hated her or were in love with her. Both make you pay uncanny attention to people."

"I- I'm not- wh... what are you talking about! I'm not in love with her!" Draco's pale face was getting less and less pale by the second.

"We didn't say you are, although that does remind me. We know about your little 'crush' on Hermione."

"There's nothing between us, Potter."

"Tell that to the dreamy look in 'Mione's eyes when she described your 'nice muscles, and eyes like...'" Ron began.

"Eyes like what?" Then Draco shook his head. "Wait, no. I don't like her!"

"She told us that she likes you and that you two kissed. Stop trying to hide it and listen to us for a moment," Harry spoke firmly. "As her best friend and brother, we love her very much. She trusts you, however, and so we will, too. But if you do anything-"

"And we mean anything-" Ron interjected fiercely,

"-to hurt her, you'll be dead faster than you can say Quidditch." Harry finished.

"I promise you that I'll listen to that threat this time. I won't treat Hermione like I treated Neville's Remembrall." Draco promised before all three smiled gently, remembering first year.

** _[Flashback:_ **

_Madam Hooch: "If I see a single broom in the air, the one riding it will be out of Hogwarts before they can say Quidditch."_

_ Malfoy picks up Neville's dropped Remembrall, tossing it around awhile and flaunting it to the rest of the class. _

_Harry: "Give it here Malfoy."_

_Malfoy: "No. I think I'll leave it somewhere for Longbottom to find. How 'bout on the roof!_ _"_

_ Malfoy flies into the air. _

_Malfoy: "_ _What's the matter, Potter? Bit beyond your reach?"_

_ Harry begins to  _ _ mount _ _ his broom to go after the already afloat Malfoy. _

_Hermione: "Harry, no way. You heard what Madam Hooch said. Besides, you don't even know how to fly!"_

_ Harry proceeds to mount broom and fly after Malfoy anyway. _

_Hermione: "What an idiot."_

_Harry: _ _"G_ _ive it here Malfoy or I'll knock you off your broom!_ _"_

_Malfoy: _ _"_ _Is that so?_ _"_

_ Harry dives for the Remembrall. Draco swiftly maneuvers out of the way. _

_Malfoy: _ _"_ _Have it your way then_ _..."_

_ Malfoy throws the Remembrall and Harry soars after it, catching it outside McGonagall's window. Harry flies down to cheers and applause from his classmates. _

** _End Flashback]_ **

"Good. Keep your feet on the ground, Malfoy. Treat Hermione right," Harey said.

"I will. I promise," Malfoy said sincerely. Then he reached out his hand to Harry. "I can tell the right sort for myself now."

Harry smiled widely and shook Malfoy's hand. It was signifying the beginning of a good friendship that should've began many years ago.


	18. S E V E N T E E N - Chilly Night with a Girl from Queens

**GRYFFINDOR COMMON ROOM**

Hermione didn't know what they were going to do. The walk to the common room was awkward enough; actually spending time together was going to be torturously awkward.

But she'd push through it. It can't be as bad as some of the things she'd faced, right?

Wrong.

They got to the common room and sat in the comfy chairs by the fire. Avoiding eye contact, they occasionally made comments such as "I like your hair" or "chilly tonight isn't it". It was terrible. Izzy's cat, Milav, came and sat on the couch between the two.

After a while, though, Hermione noticed why she was confused about Izzy. Then the real conversation began.

"Izzy?"

"Hmm?"

"Where're you from? Your accent doesn't sound like proper English," Hermione asked politely.

"Oh! I'm an exchange student from Ilvermorny, the Wizardry school in America." While she was talking, she switched from her fake English accent to her proper Queens accent.

"That's why I thought you sounded a little funny." Hermione paused. "I didn't know Hogwarts had an exchange program?"

"Oh yes, well, after the war, McGonagall and Kesterly, my headmaster, talked and decided that it would be good for some of the Ilvermorny students to come over here, see how things worked and how a war affected everyone.

"Only problem was that none of the students wanted to come over. Except me. I'm kind of a journalist, so I like exploring new things. And lemme tell you, there's such a depressed aura here. Makes sense, but still. It's sad." Now Milav had migrated over to Izzy and was brushing against her legs.

Hermione sighed sadly. "Yes. Yes, the war was terrible." After a few moments of silence, she continued. "You're a journalist, then?"

Milav hopped onto Izzy's lap before she continued. "Yep! I love writing stories and keeping track of things. I've got all kinds of enchanted notebooks and quills and stuff to take notes and write with."

"Cool! I love reading stories, but i'm not much of a writer," Hermione admitted.

"That's great! You can just read the things that I write!" Izzy looked excited before frowning. Milav looked awfully tense on her lap. "I mean- you cant really read the stuff I write about here. My headmaster wants me to report back to him what's going on, and it's a little bit secret."

Izzy looked nervous now, wincing so slightly that Hermione almost didn't notice. Hermione also noticed that Milav had his paws in a certain position which meant that his claws were bared into Izzy's leg.

"Why would your headmaster want you to 'report back'?" Hermione was suddenly suspicious of this new girl.

"Not 'report back', per se. I misspoke." Her fake English accent was back. She looked a little bit more at ease now. "Just... let her know what's happening. She wants to be able to tell the Ilvermorny kids what it's like here."

By the end of that sentence, Izzy looked entirely at ease. Milav had hopped off her lap and sauntered lazily away.

"Oh." Hermione pretended to look like that answer sufficed, but really Hermione was imagining how much she'd like to not tell this girl anything anymore. She made a mental note to ask McGonagall about Izzy to confirm her story.

But it was getting late, and Hermione needed time alone to think. So she bade Izzy good night, deciding not to wait up for the boys.

If she got one thing from this night, it was that Izzy was not to be trusted.

Hermione shivered. It certainly was a chilly night...


	19. E I G H T E E N - Purrty Sirius Issues

I just want to be a writer.

I didn't want this damned cat. This future, this challenge.

Milav might at well have just clawed at my heart tonight.

I want to be friends with Hermione so bad. I want her to read my stories. Because I write more than news and reports. I've got a book going. I write fanfictions. I want her to read my stuff and critique it because her opinion would be powerful.

But when I say the wrong things, _he _gets mad. I knew the instant Milav came downstairs that tonight would be trouble.

And Harry. Now I don't have a chance with Harry.

When he caught me... my heart stopped. His eyes are so pretty. So green. I could write poems about his eyes.

I wanna be free of _him _and with Harry. I'm starting to think... no. He'll know if I betray his trust. 

Time to toughen up, I think to myself. Get through this. It'll be fine. No escaping him anyways.

———————————

Hermione layed in the dark in the embrace of her warm bed. But tonight, nothing could stop the cold feeling that sent shivers down her spine.

How could they have let her into this task so easily? What was up with that cat of hers? Hermione was beginning to question the morality of Izzy and her cat, Milav. Then again, she was questioning a lot of things.

Like her and Draco, for example.

They had kissed. They had hugged. He said he didn't want her getting hurt. And a few days earlier he said he'd talked to Blaise and Pansy "us". What did that mean? Did he like her as much as she liked him? 

She resolved to find out the next day. But it was getting late and she was extremely tired. She had to go to bed.

__________________

When Harry and Ron got back to the Common Room, they bid Draco goodbye, still smiling and laughing. They saw Izzy sitting in the common room, talking to her cat.

"...I don't want this anym-" She looked up and noticed them, eyes wide and sentence cut short.

"Hey... Izzy... How was your night with Hermione?" Ron asked, exchanging a glance with Harry. Izzy pretty much died inside when she saw how suspiciously they looked at her. Dammit.

"It was great! I was just trying to tell Milav, my cat, not to get frustrated at other people. The second Hermione went upstairs he attacked her chair. He doesn't like people. Sorry," she lied easily.

"I told you Harry, I bloody hate cats," Ron commented with all suspicion leaving his eyes.

Harry rolled his eyes at Ron as Izzy continued, "Anyway, how was your time with Draco?"

"It was great, actually. It's still gonna be a little difficult to be around him but it'll be fine. He's a good guy and he's changing." Harry looked a little confused while he spoke, like he never expected that sentence to leave his mouth.

Izzy nodded and went back to petting Milav, although she was a little hesitant while she did. Didn't want him to bite her.

"Well, I guess we'll see you tomorrow morning, Izzy," Harry said, his eyes lingering on her a little longer than would have been normal. She blushed and looked away, muttering a quick "goodnight" as they walked away.

She sighed as she heard the door close. It was gonna be a long school year.


	20. N I N E T E E N - Symptoms

Hermione woke the next morning, quite early, to find that she really didn't feel well. About four seconds into this realization, she threw up.

And I don't mean she threw up. I mean she regurgitated everything she ate and so much more that it shouldn't have been possible to rid herself of that much fluid, then times ten. Izzy, Parvarti Patil, and Fay Dunbar, other Gryffindor girls, were up in an instant.

Hermione rushed to the bathroom and finished her waterworks in there, getting puke everywhere except the toilet, which was her aim.

She sat there on the ground, crying a sick, bloody sob while she choked on the stench of her vomit. She was sweating and shaking with heat flashes that made her feel hot and cold, while she shuddered and curled up in a fetal position, not caring that vomit was soaking into her clothes and hair.

Izzy rushed into the bathroom after Hermione and was instantly hit with the fumes. Her eyes stung as she looked around at the mess and the brunette getting paler and paler by the second. Walking quickly over, careful to avoid the vomit and muttering "_scourgify_" as she went, she called over her shoulder to tell the other two girls to clean up out there while she helped Hermione.

"It's okay, just breathe, we'll get you cleaned up-" And that's when she noticed. Hermione was bleeding. But not just from a cut or some other minor thing. No, she was bleeding from almost every visible orifice in her body. Blood was trickling out of Hermione's nose and over her lips, into her mouth where it mixed with the blood and white foam she was choking up. Her eyes were bloodshot and red, blood and tears becoming indistinguishable from each other as they both flowed thickly out of her eyes. Her fingers were shriveling up and she could barely move because of all the blood that had left her muscles and moved to other, more important places in the body.

Izzy was horrified. So she did the logical thing- screamed.

Everyone in the Gryffindor Tower must have heard it, because when Izzy looked around after a few moments, Harry and Ron were in the room, closely followed by Parvarti and Fay, and then Ginny.

"What the bloody hell is going on!" Ron mumbled, clearly half-asleep still. Although not for long, because he heard Harry's horrified gasp and opened his eyes, following the other's gaze to where Hermione sat leaning on Izzy and the toilet in a pool of blood, vomit, and sweat.

"We have to get her out of here," Izzy began hastily. "Harry, you carry her to the Hospital Wing. I'll be right behind you, I just want to clean up and clear the crowd. Ron, go get Draco because you know if someone doesn't tell him that Hermione's in this condition as soon as possible we're going to have a very angry, distraught Slytherin on our hands. Parvarti and Fay, you two get everyone out of here and clean up a bit." She paused, out of breath from talking so quickly. All of this happened in the span of maybe two minutes.

When she noticed everyone just standing there, mouths slightly agape and staring at Hermione, she exclaimed, "Well? Go go go! Hermione's in danger! Haul some ass!"

The boys moved quickly and Parvarti and Fay rushed outside to clear the small crowd of students gathered outside their dorm. Izzy hoisted Hermione into Harry's arms and watched as he muttered a quick, "thank you, Izzy," to her.

Ron was already gone, running to find Draco, and so she called Ginny into the room, whom she didn't know very well but assumed was reliable, and asked, "Can you alert Headmistress McGonagall? She's going to want to know."

"Of course. But might I ask, who are you?" Ginny said, eyeing the girl suspiciously. _Damn_, Izzy thought, _she might be a problem._

"One of Harry's new friends. I mean, kinda friends. It's complicated." The second those words left her mouth she knew that was the wrong thing to say. Harry and this girl used to date if she remembered correctly. Why in the hell would she have said that? Ugh, it was going to be a long day.

But before Izzy could finish those thoughts, Ginny had nodded slightly, eyebrows still furrowed in suspicion, and dashed out the door.

Parvarti and Fay had successfully cleared the crowd, and they were busy cleaning out the bedroom, muttering spells and opening the ancient windows. Izzy heard as Hermione's bedsheets were stripped off her bed and thrown to the ground in disgust, and decided to do some damage control in the bathroom.

Violent vomiting, extreme bleeding, paleness and fever, heat flashes, convulsion, muscle weakness, foaming at the mouth; those were all the symptoms Hermione had. Izzy repeated them in her mind, trying to recall where she heard them before.

Then it hit her like a brick. She stumbled into the counter, the blood draining from her face. She got dizzy, falling to the floor while hyperventilating. Leaning against a cabinet, she quietly voiced her realization. These were symptoms Izzy had heard before because was the cause of them.

"I've poisoned Hermione Granger. And there's no cure."


	21. T W E N T Y - Inside Her Pain

_'Why am I awake this early? Ugh, i feel like-'_

_I could feel the vomit coming up into my mouth. It burned like hot mud, about the same consistency. I tried to choke it down but that only made it taste worse. Suddenly I was stumbling out of my bed. I don't remember getting to the bathroom but before I knew it I was on the cold hard ground leaning against something just as cold._

_I hear my dorm mates shuffle in their sleep, maybe waking up maybe not, but it all sounds like it's happening far away, echoing in the back of my mind. _

_My whole body is throbbing, convulsing as I feel more vomit escape my lips. I can't feel my tongue. The roof of my mouth is on fire. My chest is tightening and suddenly I can't breathe. Then I can. Then I can't. The oxygen in my lungs comes and goes in short, choppy bursts. I'm hyperventilating. _

_Nothing is leaving my mouth now except something warm and thick. Not vomit. It's coming out of my nose too. I'm crying the same thick substance. My vision is red and black and spotty. Everything i see is just red tainted blobs. It's not good, something in the back of my mind tells me. I don't listen. I can't. _

_My body feels out of place. Jumbled. Dissected. Sometimes I can feel my limbs and sometimes I can't. Sometimes I feel pains in parts of my body I didn't know could hurt. I can't feel my fingers anymore. My feet lost feeling a while ago. Or maybe a few seconds ago. I don't know how long I've been like this. I'm crying and the smell tells me I vomited a lot. But I don't process this right away. I can't process anything right now._

_I feel sharp pains everywhere. They come and go. Knives and needles are in my body. They burn and are ice cold at the same time. I can't tell if I'm alive or dead. My body doesn't respond. My throat tightens again. I try to cough and start shuddering. _

_I can't see anymore. My eyes are glued shut. I'm still convulsing and my mouth feels like its been stuffed with tar. My nose is closing up. I'm so so cold. My skin is bubbling off me, popping with flashes of searing heat that make me feel like I'm dying. _

_I wish I was dead. Nothing is worse than this feeling. Something makes me think I'm being tortured. Although I never hear anyone speaking 'Cruciatus'. Then again, I never hear anyone say anything._

_My head is throbbing. I can feel myself hyperventilating again. Suddenly, my whole chopped up, painful little world becomes dizzy. I can feel pressure around shoulders and upper back and the back of my knees. Maybe. I can't actually tell where the pressure is coming from. My world is spinning and suddenly I feel air rushing onto me like I'm moving quickly. Lots of air. It burns. Am I running? My throat vibrates and I know I've spoken. Or moaned in pain._

_I feel round pressure on my forehead and then its gone. My world is no longer spinning. I feel pains in me again, pains that were temporarily gone. I know I'm losing consciousness. My mind is going blank. I feel some familiar liquid trickling down my neck and into my hair, as if I've changed positions. I'm glad when I pass out. _


	22. T W E N T Y  O N E - Panic

Harry heard a blood-curling scream that instantly woke him from his sleep. Before he knew it, him and Neville and Ron were running to the source of the scream, which was the girls dorm. 

"Hermione-" the boys both said before rushing into the room and then to the bathroom. They were hit with the overwhelming smell of vomit and looked around sleepily to see Hermione, bleeding everywhere. Evidently, the smell of vomit was coming from all the vomit that was coming from Hermione. Harry gasped and saw Ron look to Hermione, jaw dropping and eyes widening.

"What the bloody hell is going on?" Ron exclaimed.

Izzy instantly took control. And Harry hated to think it, but she looked hot in control.

"We have to get her out of here," Izzy began hastily. "Harry, you carry her to the Hospital Wing. I'll be right behind you, I just want to clean up and clear the crowd." I nodded. "Ron, go get Draco because you know if someone doesn't tell him that Hermione's in this condition as soon as possible we're going to have a very angry, distraught Slytherin on our hands. Parvarti and Fay, you two get everyone out of here and clean up a bit." She paused. All of this happened in the span of maybe two minutes.

We were all frozen at the sight of Hermione in such a hurt, vulnerable situation. She was so strong. No one wanted to see her like this. Then Izzy brought me back to reality.

"Well? Go go go! Hermione's in danger! Haul some ass!"

Ron turned around and bolted out the door to get Draco, while I carefully walked over to Izzy. She looked so horrified and confused, like something didn't make sense. 

As Izzy hoisted Hermione into my arms I said, "Thank you, Izzy," and quickly walked away, feeling like an older brother and finally knowing why. He was so infinitely glad that Hermione was in his life and he didn't wanna lose her now that he knew they were siblings. He couldn't lose her.

This thought made him move quicker, and a broke into a full sprint down the corridor to the Hospital Wing, air rushing around him. Hermione groaned, sounding like she was dead, which pushed him to go faster. He wasn't going to lose Hermione. Not now or ever.

Rounding a corner and climbing the stairs, he finally arrived at the Wing, bursting in without knocking.

"Mr. Potter, do you have an appointm-" Madam Pomfrey stopped herself upon seeing Hermione.

"Madam Pomfrey, I don't know what happened, we found her like this, you've got to help her! Do something, please, please..." Harry was so sad and loved Hermione so much. Tears were flowing down his cheeks, and Madam Pomfrey got everything under control. 

"Put her down over there and get me a bucket of warm water and some rags," Madam Pomfrey commanded. 

Harry ran over and got her a bucket which he filled with water. "_Augamenti_" he said, and then he summoned the rags and ran over, levitating the bucket behind him.

"Alright, wipe her down. I'll need her clean once I determine the problem." She spoke calmly and quickly. Harry immediately started wiping her arms and face but discovered it had soaked through her clothes and that to get her fully clean he'd have to remove her clothes.

"Uhhhh... maybe you should do this, I think I'll have to take off her clothes-" Harry began but was interrrupted.

"Your best friend is dying. I think you can stand to see her naked. Plus, I'm testing her right now. Get to it!" Madam Pomfrey commanded.

Harry took a deep breath and told himself that it was alright, it didn't matter. They were siblings and they'd known each other forever, he could stand to see her naked. 

He began peeling off her night shirt (which thankfully buttoned up) and his mind wandered to Ron and Draco and how they were doing...

\-----------------------

Ron stood, panting in front of what appeared to be a plain brick wall, except now he knew that it was the entrance to the Slytherin Common Room. The only problem was getting inside. He couldn't quite remember the password, and as it was four in the morning, not a lot of Slytherins were wandering the halls.

"Uhhhh... Slytherin?" He spoke. Nothing happened. "Mudblood?" He hated to say the word, but he remembered that the password was something like that. "Damn, what is it? Curse you, you bloody pureblood fools!"

Slowly, the bricks parted and it opened. "What was- oh, pureblood, that's right," Ron mumbled and he dashed into the dormitory. Luckily, he was a pureblood, so nothing bad happened to him when he entered. He didn't want to know what would've happened if he hadn't have been a pureblood.

Ron ran past the couches and the dying fireplace, up the stairs to what he assumed was the Boy's Dormitory and started shouting, "Draco Malfoy, you bloody ferret, get out here this instant! It's an emergency! Malfoy, wake up! Malfoy, Malfoy, Malfoy, Malf-"

"God dammit, Weasley, what in God's name are you doing in here? And how-" Malfoy began, getting interrupted by Ron who had a wild look in his eyes.

"It's Hermione," he panted. "She's in the Hospital Wing."


	23. T W E N T Y  T W O - Want for Love and Forgiveness

Draco and Ron burst into the Hospital Wing to find Hermione naked and Harry caressing her bare skin with a wet rag.

"Potter, what the hell are you doing to your sister?!" Draco shouted, Ron's eye wide and his mouth agape.

Harry stepped to the side to let them see what he was doing and said, "Calm down! She needed to be cleaned of all her vomit and blood for the next part of the healing, and I was here to do it. We don't know what's wrong yet-"

"Actually," Madam Pomfrey spoke somberly, her voice shaking, "I do know what's wrong. And it's not good."

When she didn't continue, the three boys exchanged worried glances and Draco prompted, "What's wrong with Hermione?"

"I think it's best if no one except me and the Headmistress know for the time being. We've got to explore our options before revealing the results."

Draco was absolutely furious. They weren't going to tell him whats wrong with the girl he wanted to love? Then it hit him like a brick: he wanted to love her. He wanted an opportunity to get to know her, spend time with her, build a friendship and a relationship. Draco wanted to get to know the girl he's hated for seven years. He had to speak against this outrage. 

"Listen here," he began in a dangerously low voice, "you're going to tell me what's wrong with her, because if you don't tell me I can't help you. And you know the- the Malfoy Library holds more books on healing than you've read in your entire life, so you'd better tell me, and Weasley and Potter, what happened to her or else-"

"While I do understand your concerns, Mr. Malfoy, and Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley, patient/healer confidentiality does exist. I would like to have a word with Madam Pomfrey before you go all wild-goose on our poor matron," Professor McGonagall said sternly, but you could sense the care and concern in her voice.

Draco huffed, walking away from Hermione's bed followed by Ron and Harry. The three boys stood near the door watching both women talk with tears in their eyes, and that's when they realized that their fifth member was missing. 

"Hey, where's Izzy?" Harry wondered aloud.

\-------------------------------------

Izzy sat on the bathroom floor, pale and panicking. She poisoned Hermione Granger, the girl she most wanted to be friends with. And it's the Golden Trio and Draco Malfoy, so there's no way they won't find out. She'll have to move his plan along faster than was expected.

That's why Izzy grabbed her cat and took him into a broom closet to speak with him. She cast a spell ("Intellegite Animalis") so that she could understand her cat, something she rarely did, and began talking in hurried whispers.

"I thought you said I had five days until the poison would kick in? Hermione Granger, the brightest witch of our age, is laying in a hospital bed, helpless. And it's all my fault. I expected to have more time to execute the plan! Keep in mind, this wasn't my idea!"

"You know why you're following my orders. Keep talking like this and you'll lose your sister. Remember, I have people in places you wouldn't even know could be infiltrated," Milav spoke.

"I can't believe anyone would be stupid enough to continue following the orders of a man living in a cat. You may have used to be Lord Voldemort, feared, evil and ruthless, but now you're nothing more than an annoying fur ball." Izzy instantly regretted saying it. She couldn't afford to talk back and step out of line anymore, or her mother and sister would die. They were already using Cruciatus on her father.

"Hush! I told you, I don't need the families of a snarky servant. They could get killed at any moment of my choosing, stupid girl," Milav growled. "Now, as for how long we would have to kill the boys, I had also expected more time. You'll have to work quickly, which doesn't give you any time to use that sharp tongue of yours. Prepare the lock down and give the orders, and then begin explaining the poison to the unsuspecting worthless children.

"This is the comeback no one was expecting. This, my dear, is the time to rise." Milav began laughing, and Izzy removed the charm, throwing the cat that used to be Lord Voldemort into the common room. Breathing heavily, eyes watering, she went to her room to get the pre-written letters issuing the lock down orders and have her owl deliver them.

It seemed like time was frozen around her. She wasn't listening to anyone asking her questions about Hermione and the Trio; all her focus was on hoping people would understand, that maybe her new friends would give her another chance and understand.

She sent the owl off and went to prepare herself. The lock down was going to begin within the hour. And she had to be ready.


	24. T W E N T Y  T H R E E - Stalling

_[Three Days Ago]_

_Izzy and the Trio and Draco were in the Three Broomsticks, getting their first butterbeers of the afternoon. Izzy knew if she didn't do it now, she'd get too attached and not do it at all. So she opened a small vial and as she walked back to their table with their drinks, she poured the thick, purple liquid into Hermione's drink._

_And it was done. the poison would kick in in about 5 days, causing extreme vomiting and other physical and mental symptoms. It would be torturous to Hermione, but once the five days were exceeded, the poison will have penetrated her immune system to the point of no return. _

_She would just have to hope she wasn't around to see it. And that the others weren't either._

_\-------------------------------------------_

"Where's Izzy?" Harry wondered aloud.

As if on cue, Izzy burst into the hospital wing, followed by her cat, a little out of breath. "Where's Hermione? What happened?" she asked.

"We don't know. They won't tell us-" Ron began.

"-yet," harry finished fiercely.

"Yet."

Izzy looked a little deflated, like she had expected that's what would happen. She took as long as she could in the common room to give the other reinstated Death Eaters time to gather. Now it was time, and she would have to hope that they were ready. Not that she wanted them to be, but if she didn't follow orders, hundreds of people would die.

"Even if they did tell you, they would be wrong. They've never seen this kind of illness before." She began somberly.

"What?" Draco said, narrowing his eyes at the girl.

"Probably because it's not an illness. It's poison." 

At this point, McGonagall and Madam Pomfrey had made their way over to the four kids.

"Izzy, what are you talking about?" Harry said, looking betrayed.

"That's right. I poisoned Hermione Granger. The reason you've never seen this type of poison before is because the Dark Lord-" everyone gasped at the mention of his return, "-had his best potion masters working on it for months. And they didn't bother with making an antidote, because it was intended to be deadly, incurable," Izzy was speaking with fake venom in her voice. She had to make it seem like she really was on the Dark Lord's side. I mean, there's no stopping him, so why hold out?

"The Dark Lord? Izzy, how do you know all this?" Harry asked suspiciously, with hope in his voice, as if he knew what her answer would be but didn't want it to be her answer.

"Because," She paused, summoning all wands in the room to her with a wave of her own, "I'm the one who poisoned her."

\-----------------------------------

Draco was probably the least surprised of them all. Potter was clearly infatuated by Izzy, and Weasley was too dense to notice the signs. While he didn't expect this plot twist at all, he expected Izzy to betray them somehow. 

That's of course, why he let them into their "group" so easily. He could've cared less if she told them that Hermione and him had kissed, though that's not how he hoped it would've been told. But it gave him the perfect opportunity to keep a close eye on her. Draco really expected more time to get to know her intentions, and he definitely didn't expect to be wandless in a room he realized was locked with two matrons, Potter, Weasley, and his almost dead crush.

So while he expected it, he wasn't prepared and hadn't the faintest idea of what to do. Instead, he did what he did best and stalled. Getting information would be important.

"When did you do it? Poison her," Draco asked, his voice filled with anger and he spoke quietly but strongly.

"It was your idea to go to Hogsmeade. I simply took the opportunity to poison her while we were drinking butterbeer. Not one of you noticed. And I'm surprised at how blindly you trusted me," she said, eyebrows furrowed.

"You poisoned her three days ago and it's just now taking effect? What kind of stupid poison is it?" Ron asked, picking up on Draco's tactic of drawing out information.

Izzy's eyes narrowed and then widened slightly in rapid succession, to where Draco almost didn't notice it. He was afraid she caught on, but she continued to give us information, just like any classic villain. Pathetic.

"Well, the Dark Lord ordered his best potion masters to privately brew this poison in a small hut on a cliff in the Sherwood Forest. And it's a poison that has no cure unless maybe the recipe itself is found, because they invented the poison themselves. After five days, the poison will have fully infiltrated her body systems, breaking them down like acid. There's only so many blood-replenishing potions that can prolong her death," she sad with mock sadness. 

That's when Draco realized: Izzy was giving him all the information he needed. That's why she was getting so weirdly specific. She didn't want to do any of this. Voldemort must have something, or someone, making her do what he wanted. And she must be being watched, or else she would just flat out tell them. He hoped that the others were picking up on this too, because he would need their help to escape.

"But there's no hope for Hermione now," Izzy continued. "I've got your wands and the Dark Lord has issued a command to kill on sight. All three of you boys. I suppose since you two are here, too-" Izzy said, gesturing to McGonagall and Madam Pomfrey, "-I'll have to kill everyone in this room, excluding Hermione. The Dark Lord wanted her to suffer the effects of the poison in pain to make up for what her father did to him. Severus Snape made the ultimate betrayal and was the perfect spy, a two-sided player. The Dark Lord can't forgive that. In any way."

"You keep mentioning Voldemort," Harry said, rage in his voice. "But how is he still alive? I killed him. He should be dead! We destroyed the horcruxes."

"Not all of them," Izzy said. We all gasped a little. "There was a final horcrux that no one, not even the Dark Lord himself, knew about. But it makes sense.

"Harry, as a baby your parents owned a cat. This cat followed Voldemort all the way to the bedroom where your mother died for you. The killing curse bounced back off of Voldemort and his soul split into you, making you a horcrux, but it was too much power for you body to handle, too much of his soul existed in you, so your body split the amount of his soul that you couldn't handle and pushed it into the nearest living thing: a cat."

Everyone in the room slowly turned their head to look at the thin, white, short-haired cat standing near Izzy.

"M I L A V: I AM Lord Voldemort. Yes, Milav is Lord Voldemort. He is the cat that the Potter's owned 18 years ago."


	25. T W E N T Y F O U R - To Put it Bluntly

Izzy was on edge. Hoping that the boys picked up on the fact that she wanted to help them, she gave them all the information they needed. She didn't know how to help them escape thought, and she certainly didn't know what to do with the matrons. She hadn't planned for them to be there, and she already said she'd kill them. She hoped some of them could do wandless magic...

"But enough talking! I've got Death Eaters stationed throughout the Castle, already rounding up students. This school is going into full lock down. No one in or out. Nothing enters or leaves," Izzy continued.

"Why? What do you need Hogwarts for?" Draco asked. Izzy watched as realization dawned on him. "No... you aren't going to..."

"That's right. Ethnic cleansing, Dark Lord style. Every muggleborn in the place will be slaughtered. Every half-blood with more muggle blood than magic blood will be slaughtered. And you three will be the demonstration sacrifices. Choosing to oppose the Dark Lord gets you killed," she said with fake maliciousness.

Izzy cast _Incarcerous _on the Matrons and the boys and dragged them all along behind her with the ropes. She found a couple Death Eaters in the corridor and asked them to help her escort their prisoners to the Great Hall.

When they got there, she noticed that every student was seated at their respective tables. By now it was about seven in the morning, and so everyone looked sleepy and like they were expecting breakfast. Except no breakfast came.

"Students!" Izzy called, magnifying her voice when she got to the front of the hall. "I've got a special announcement to make."

Murmurs could be heard throughout the hall wondering about the whereabouts of breakfast and why Harry, Ron and Draco and Madam Pomfrey and McGonagall were tied up. Izzy hated doing this. She'd never be able to go back from it now. She was in too deep.

Suddenly a tall man with long, sleek blond hair entered the hall. Lucius Malfoy. How the Carrows managed to get him out of his Manor (he was on house arrest due to his pending trial) was a surprise to me, but it happened. He walked all the way up to me, trailed closely by the Carrows and Antonin Dolohov. All four of them had survived the Battle of Hogwarts, as had Augustus Rookwood, Walden Macnair, and many other Death Eaters.

Izzy heard the gasps of students and the murmurs before Lucius reached her. She let him walk up to her and speak to her, although she was disgusted by his very existence.

"What do you want, Lucius?"

"I would rather you regard me as Mr. Malfoy, scum. However, I would like to tell you that the school has been scoured and not a single child isn't in this room right now. I have Death Eaters stationed at every exit. The lock down has been initiated."

"Ah." Izzy exhaled, disappointed that it had worked, but she tried not to show it. "Good. Now get out of my sight. As I recall, you are the betraying scum, seeing as how I am the Dark Lord's right hand man."

Lucius spat at my feet, which was insulting as I was at least a foot smaller than him. He turned and walked behind me a few feet as the Carrows walked to the Great Hall doors to guard them.

"I'm sure you're all wondering why you're here," I began, deciding to put it bluntly. "It's quite simple, really. See, Lord Voldemort has returned and is working with the Ministry of Magic to complete a mass Blood Status-based genocide."


	26. T W E N T Y F I V E - Let Her Stay

Harry was feeling a lot of things, but mostly worry. He was worried about Hermione in the Hospital Wing. She was dying and unless they escaped and got to the place where they could create the antidote, Hermione would be gone forever. He didn't wanna see her suffer and her didn't want to lose her.

He was also worried about how they would escape, and whether or not to try to take Izzy with them. At first he thought she was a good person, then he hated her, then he realized she was on their side, and now he didn't know what to think of her. It was really impossible to figure her out. And she was so beautiful it was hard to concentrate anyway.

But mostly he was worried about how in the world they were gonna get out of this situation. He had hoped Izzy would stall for them for a while longer, but apparently she just wanted to put it bluntly and get it over with. So now him, Ron and Draco had to escape captivity and protect the school. And he had no clue how to do that without causing a major battle.

He glanced over at Ron, who looked just as helpless as he did. Looking over to Malfoy, he saw him analyzing the situation and hoped he could come up with a plan. He never thought he'd see the day when he relied on Draco to keep him alive. Then again, he never imagined a lot of this would happen.

After the shouts of protest and outrage were silenced by Izzy making a thunderclap noise with her wand, she explained.

"You see, the program that the Ministry installed in this school this year was to help us find someone. We were going to wait until tonight to find the person we needed, but she was too smart and figured it out herself, therefore causing her untimely death."

That's when the whispers started. People began putting things together, noticing that all the trio was there except Hermione.

"That's right. Hermione Granger, your Golden Girl, is dead!" Izzy proclaimed, cackling a little too much like Bellatrix.

People gasped and there were shouts of outrage, many that knew her standing up and crying out. Harry felt tears of anger prick his eyes, so much so that he almost didn't realize Ginny peaking through the side door. Their eyes met and Ginny flicked hers towards Izzy's feet.

That's when Harry came up with a plan. He turned to Draco and Ron and muttered, "the side door. Be ready," and then slowly walked closer to Izzy, where the wands were casually hanging out of the pocket in her sleep pants.

Izzy started talking again, making it so i couldn't move more towards her. "SILENCE! You all are here so that we can test your blood. I will have some people go around the tables and-"

"Hermione's still alive!" 

He turned his head to find that Ron had shouted that, now standing on the opposite side of Izzy as him. As gasps rang through the Hall, Harry took the chance to quickly dash up to Izzy and snatch all the wands, tossing them each to their owner and stunning both of the Carrows in one fell swoop. 

A blur of red hair streaked by the boys and grabbed the white cat near Izzy's feet. Ginny had taken Voldemort and was running for it! Draco stunned Izzy and Harry caught her, scooping her up bridal-style and dashing out of the hall. Ron and Draco covered Harry and Ginny as they ran through the corridors, searching for the fastest exit.

"The broom shed!" Ginny shouted over her shoulder. All four of them changed directions to head outside to the Quidditch pitch. Once they got there Ron blasted the doors open and tossed everyone a broom. 

Harry put Izzy down but held a firm grip on her wrist. "You're on our side?" He asked suspiciously.

"Yes. I promise." Izzy said, a meaningful look in her chocolate eyes. He figured he'd probably regret it later, but he let her go and motioned for Ron to give her a broom, too.

"We're trusting her? She poisoned Hermione! She kept Voldemort as a pet!" Ron exclaimed, beyond enraged.

"We wouldn't have gotten out of the castle if she hadn't made it easy for us to! She feed us information back in the Hospital Wing, and she hasn't killed anyone yet, so give her a broom and lets get out of here!" Harry replied forcefully.

Ron probably would've debated it more, but a burst of light came from near the doors and they knew they didn't have long. So Ron gave Harry an I'll-kill-you-later-if-we-aren't-already-dead look and tossed her a broom, only to have her toss it right back.

"I'll stay here and make sure they don't kill anyone until you get back. Figure out a way to save Hermione and save Hogwarts." She waved away their protests. "You can do it without me. I've caused enough damage as it is, now it's time for me to reverse it and help. I can't ride a broom anyway."

Draco, Ron, and Ginny were already on their brooms, perfectly happy to leave her behind. 

"C'mon mate. We've got to go. If she wants to stay, let her stay!" Ron said.

"Fine. Tell McGonagall I said you're safe, and have her help you come up with a plan to keep everyone safe until we get back," Harry told her. He had started to walk away but turned around and kissed her on the cheek before leaving again.

She blushed and as they flew away she called out, "Remember, the antidote can't help her unless you come back within two days!"

Harry watched Hogwarts fade behind them and he felt the air get colder as they climbed higher and higher, thinking to himself just how much he wanted to be done with all of this fighting.


End file.
